


Glow

by orphan_account



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fluffy as hell, Other, Reader Insert, gender neutral reader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-03
Updated: 2015-08-03
Packaged: 2018-04-12 18:02:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4489380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Homestuck belongs to Hussie<br/>The story belongs to me<br/>You belong to yourself</p>
    </blockquote>





	Glow

**Author's Note:**

> Homestuck belongs to Hussie  
> The story belongs to me  
> You belong to yourself

_Soulmates had been prosecuted in the early days of Christianity, due to a small group proclaiming them to be the work of the devil, leading away from their one true God. Many were executed, and to this day there is a stigma in conservative circles against soulmates…._

_In Renaissance times, the first recorded study on soulmates and the different types of marks differentiating them was published by an unknown author...it was translated into ten languages; the only surviving English copy is currently housed in the library at Oxford College…._

_In America, the Maryam-Ampora Act, introduced in 1972, made it illegal for alleged soulmates to marry before all parties involved reached the age of 18, regardless of proof of status…while several parties have sued and called for amendment or dissolution, the act remains firmly entrenched in federal law…._

_Much to the horror of the Westboro Baptist Church, a study done in 1993 indicated almost equal percentages of same-sex and opposite-sex soulmates. In several states, the ban on gay marriage is lifted when the pair are certified soulmates, but the stigma remains and pairs are often ostracized or face violence…._

_Craigslist gets an enormous boost in traffic after New Year’s, concerts, and any large gathering of humanity. The number of people trying to find their soulmates through the site is estimated to be upward of four hundred million, larger than the population of the USA…._

 

You flipped through the book, yawning and gripping it tightly to keep it from flying off your lap as the train pulled into the next station. People surged into the car, scrambling for empty seats and plastic grips so they wouldn’t have to grip the cold metal bars in the awful weather. A mother pushed her stroller in and scooted it next to the wall, a small wail echoing through the space. Someone flopped into the empty seat beside you, an aura of warmth as bright as the eye smarting orange coat he wore surrounding him. 

 

He, like you, appeared to be a student, judging by the heavy backpack he shrugged off as he sat down. You shifted your backpack, which was cradled in your feet, and tried as subtly as possible to glance at what the writing in his notebook. The complex equations on the page made about as much sense to you as ancient Greek, and normally you prided yourself on your math skills. He must be a med or engineering student, or something along those lines.

 

You turned back to your book and skimmed over the next page. The only thing that really stood out to you information wise was the list of the different methods of soulmate detection, including all the horrible ones in mythos that you were extremely glad didn’t happen in real life. You pitied any poor person who had to get stuck at eighteen until they met their soulmate. It could be centuries before you met them, during which everyone you’ve ever known would die. There was absolutely nothing good about that idea, and personally, you would rather die without a soulmate than deal with that.

 

Those teen fiction authors never thought a damn thing through.

 

_That could be something good to write the essay about,_ you mused, _the difference between real life methods of detection and ones in mythos._ You took your notebook out and scrawled the idea on the cover before you forgot it. Unlike most of your essay topics, which were pretty bland, the subject of soulmates was really interesting even if you had little experience with it. Your parents had fallen in love the ‘normal’ way, and none of your friends had found any soulmates of theirs. Neither had you. Love was love, and if it wasn’t predestined, than so what?

 

You tucked your notebook back into your backpack at the same time as orange coat guy was switching his out. He elbowed you in the side, and you hissed in pain, dropping your book. Your pencil rolled into the ether of feet and wheels, and your backpack slumped to the floor.

 

“Shit, I’m sorry,” orange coat guy said, diving for your pencil and grabbing it before it got crushed under stroller wheels while handing you your book at the same time. You accepted it and stared for a moment at his pale blond hair-how much gel does he use, good lord-and askew anime glasses before remembering you had to thank him.

 

“Thanks. And don’t worry about it,” you said, trying to keep from flushing in embarrassment. He nodded, straightened his glasses, and returned to his studying. You blinked at the quick dismissal before going back to your book. This time, though, it was a lot harder to concentrate.

 

You gave up on concentrating after a few minutes and looked over orange guy’s shoulder again, making no secret of it this time. He glanced at you over the top of his shades with one pale eyebrow raised.

 

“Normally I would be mad, but this isn’t class, so I’m merely curious,” he stated, a tiny twist coming to his lips. “What about my math homework is so interesting to you?”

 

You shrugged. “I normally know my math, but I have no idea what that is. Just curious.”

 

“Calculus and a double major in robotics and engineering will do that to you,” he said, shaking his head. “I’ve recently discovered caffeine is my one true love.”

 

“Christ. You’re a stronger man than I am,” you said, shuddering at the thought of all that math. He smiled, and then wiped his forehead. It was getting very hot in the subway car, and a moment later both of you had unzipped your jackets, you also unwinding your scarf. You could just barely see the white graphic on his t-shirt of some band you didn’t recognize. For some reason, you didn’t feel much cooler; granted, you were wearing two shirts, but the jacket should have made some difference.

 

The train screeched into the next stop, and your book almost went flying again. Rolling your eyes, you shoved it into your bag, got to your feet and turned to the guy, smiling. Behind the shades, you could just barely see his eyes widen. 

 

“It was nice talking to you,” you said, hoisting your backpack over your shoulder, before joining the crowd of humanity flowing toward the cold air. A strange, empty feeling followed you off the train and onto the gum-speckled platform. The smile you had worn slowly faded, and you frowned at the sudden encroach of sadness. You shook your head and looked down to zip up your jacket again, only to slowly freeze when you saw the rapidly fading red glow over your heart.

 

Shock shut down your brain for a moment before your head snapped up, your eyes desperately searching for the other person with the glowing chest. The backpack on your shoulders seemed to get a few tons heavier as time slowed down. Your heart thudded painfully, panic settling in after seeing that no one in the dispersing crowd had the glow. The train hissed, and the doors began to slide shut, slowly pulling away from the station. You darted forward, trying to catch it before it pulled out. If no one on the platform was your soulmate, then they had to still be on the train.

 

Before you managed to make your way onto the train, orange coat guy had shoved his way through the half-shut doors and collided with you. The dimming red glow suddenly returned tenfold for a split second, then faded, and as you gasped, you inhaled the smell of motor oil, herbal shampoo, and some sugary drink. The next moment, you found yourself caught up in his arms, protected from the cold in a warm layer of air. When he let you go, still breathing heavily, you hugged him tightly, a few tears escaping your eyes.

 

“Jesus Christ,” you muttered, burying your face in his shirt. “You fucking scared me. I was sure I was going to lose you.”

 

He chuckled weakly before pulling away as he flushed, you doing so as well considering the awkwardness of the situation. “Yeah, when I noticed the glow I froze, and when you left, well….”

 

His hands moved as he tried to finish the sentence, but words seemed to fail him. He looked at the ground after a moment, and you winced. Seeing the look on his face made your heart hurt, and you stepped forward, gripping his hand in your own. He looked up, and for a moment the shades slipped down and you saw a hint of orange irises.

 

The words came out of your mouth faster than you could filter them. “Look, this is really awkward, I know, but I think you left your homework on the train. If we hurry, we can get to the next station before it does and retrieve it, and then go do...something?. And...my name’s (y/n), by the way.”

 

The corner of his mouth twitched, and a tiny smile appeared on his face. He squeezed your hand once. “I’m Dirk.”

 

He pulled you toward the station exit, through what was left of the crowds, and you tried to keep up without slipping; he was a good deal taller than you and his legs were definitely longer. People kept glancing at the admittedly comical sight you two made, but you were too nervous(and happy) to notice. “Please, let’s get my homework. That thing’s a quarter of my grade. And then...I think I’ll be taking you up on that ‘something’, (y/n).”

 

You smiled. “It’s a date, then.”


End file.
